Theme and other amusement park operators are under ongoing pressure to create new rides and shows to entertain park visitors. Many parks include rides with show portions that may be provided to tell a story and such show portions may provide a theme to the ride or attraction. The show portion may include music and video portions to entertain the park visitors as their vehicle passes through a portion of a tunnel or stretch of the ride. In many rides, action is provided in the show with robotics or other mechanisms that move characters or other objects as a vehicle passes nearby. For example, an animal such as a lion or bear may move its head and open its mouth to roar as a vehicle full of guests passes by on a track. In other cases, a character may perform actions such as talking along with a soundtrack or move in particular manner or based on a routine in the presence of the vehicle. Some rides have a long queue or pre-show section and animated characters or mechanisms may be provided that periodically operate to entertain the guests. Technology such as robotics may be used by ride or show designers to provide these creatures and characters and other moving objects/structures in a very realistic manner, e.g., with body and facial movements that correspond closely to live animals, humans, and the like.
While show or ride characters may be realistic, people quickly lose their belief (or their suspension of disbelief) with relation to mechanized or robotic figures or show/ride equipment. One problem with existing show figures and equipment is that it may be operated simply as a constant and repeating effect. For example, a show or pre-show effect may involve a robotic creature, figure, or statue that is periodically activated to perform a routine or a number of actions with or without an accompanying soundtrack. In many cases, the ride or attraction visitors or guests may be entertained upon first seeing the creature operate, but the effect may be ruined or weakened when it is repeated before they have left the area (e.g., the pre-show queue does not move fast enough to place them out of the sight or hearing range).
In other rides, figures or show equipment is synchronized with the operation of the ride. For example, a show segment may be initiated when a vehicle travels across a certain point of a track such as may be determined by a triggering mechanism or a sensor. When initiated, one or more robotic figures perform a preprogrammed or choreographed set of movements. Unfortunately, accurate synchronization of show equipment with ride vehicles and guests in the vehicles is typically not achieved with such a system. Instead, the show equipment such as a robotic character is designed to perform to a theoretical or predicted vehicle position and the presence of an average passenger. Specifically, a character does not look directly at or speak to any particular passenger but, instead, in the general direction of the detected vehicle.
The show equipment also behaves the same if a vehicle is empty, which causes riders in nearby vehicles to recognize that the characters or other equipment is not interactive or responsive to the presence of people in the vehicles (e.g., is a robot rather than a live character). Typically, show systems of a ride run a pre-programmed motion profile to cause characters and other objects to move in a timed manner (e.g., repeat motion profile periodically) or off a triggered event or sensor trigger. The show systems generally do not vary this motion profile or its cycling, and since equipment runs whether vehicles are loaded with guests or not and in a repetitive manner, guests are able to identify the repetitive and non-responsiveness of the show equipment, which can detract from their enjoyment of the show portion of the ride. For example, a guest in a trailing vehicle may think a show is not very realistic if a figure is talking to or making threatening gestures toward an empty vehicle. The cycling of show equipment can also increase wear and maintenance costs as the equipment repeats show movements even when there are no guests/visitors in the adjacent vehicle or, in a pre-show setting, in the immediate area.
In some cases, an actor is placed among the robotic show equipment to create a realistic and responsive effect as the actor can interact directly with particular vehicle passengers. Similarly, a ride operator may act to control one or more portions of the show equipment such as a robotic character to cause it to interact with guests and, in some cases, the operators voice is broadcast from the character to allow the character to talk responsively to a guest. The use of live characters and interactive robots is largely popular among the park visitors, but the use of operators and live actors on an ongoing basis is typically very expensive.
There remains a need for methods and systems for providing improved show or entertainment equipment. Preferably, such methods and systems would provide equipment, such as robotic-based characters or systems, that are more synchronized and/or interactive with guests or visitors.